The Manure Spreader

EXPLAIN YOUR IDEA

User map of the methods used currently and for the machine

Most manure is spread by women with shovels, a process that is inefficient, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. This often discourages farmers from applying manure, despite its proven ability to increase crop productivity by up to 100%. From the national sample census of small holder agriculture of 2008 we know that about 40% of them kept livestock but only an 11% use any organic fertilizer. As a result, less than 6% of the total area planted is under organic fertilizer application.
As farmers don't fallow the soil, it can't recover the minerals and nitrogen absorbed by the crops every season. The national sample census of small holder agriculture of 2008 concluded that the crop productivity of that year diminished compared with the one of 2002 and that 91% of the rural households had soil erosion problems. This is one of the main reasons why crops yield only 20-30% of their full potential.
The Manure Spreader is an intermediate and scalable technology made to increase soil fertility and crop productivity by evenly spreading manure in the fields. As this is the only technology of its kind, this innovation redefines the manure spreading process, to simply towing a cart in the field. It reduces labor intensity, minimizing accidents and diseases; gives extra time for other economic or studying activities; improves productivity and incomes; reduces the work of women in this labor and maximizes the use of manure resources.

WHO BENEFITS?

We visited a farmer who bought the machine last year. He only was able to spread manure in half of the field, because he ran out of manure, but was impressed by the results. He is planning to rent the machine during the next spreading season to his neighbors.

In the visit we took pictures of the crops which were planted in the land with and without manure. In this picture you can see the crops in the land with manure.

Picture of the crops without manure.

The farmers made a demonstration of the methods used before they bought the machine.

The main beneficiaries of the machine will be the smallholder farmers who buy it. The ones who are not spreading manure will improve the productivity of their crops, thus, their income. This increase is estimated to value over US$15,000. The farmers who are spreading manure will reduce the time invested in this activity and intensity of the labor, with estimated benefits of US$6,000. Other beneficiaries will be the sellers of raw the materials, the artisans and the transport people involved.

WHERE WILL YOUR IDEA BE IMPLEMENTED?

I was born in Arusha, Tanzania. The same place where I have been working with the Manure Spreader, supported by Twende, an incubator from this city. I will continue developing and selling the machine within Tanzania, and after, Africa

ARE YOU IMPLEMENTING IN AN ELIGIBLE COUNTRY?

Yes

EXPERTISE IN SECTOR

I’ve worked in a sector related to my idea for over a year

EXPERIENCE IN IMPLEMENTATION COUNTRY(IES)

Yes, for more than one year.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOU!

I am a farmer from Arusha, Tanzania. Throughout my life, I have faced many challenges of Tanzanian agriculture, one of them being the laborious process of manure spreading. Since I created the first prototype, in 2014, I had sold over 7 machines. I am looking for finance resources to reach farmers.

English version of the brochure for marketing

Frank Mollel educating farmers and some students the importance of spreading manure through a simple technology of manure spreader.

Frank managed to improve the manure spreader, so it can be pulled by a motorcycle.

Farmer Joseph packs/loading manure on a cart which have already fitting a manure spreader kit

One of the most important activities during the cultivation season is spreading manure, which is a problem nowadays in the sub-Saharan countries like Tanzania. Most manure is spread by women with shovels, a process that is inefficient, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. This often discourages farmers from applying manure, despite its proven ability to increase crop productivity by up to 100%. From the national sample census of small holder agriculture of 2008 we know that about 40% of them kept livestock but only an 11% use any organic fertilizer. As a result, less than 6% of the total area planted is under organic fertilizer application.

As the smallholder farmers are forced, for economic reasons, to cultivate all the arable land they own, the soil has no time to be fallowed, preventing it to recover the minerals and nitrogen absorbed by the crops every season. The national sample census of small holder agriculture of 2008 concluded that the crop productivity of that year diminished compared with the one of 2002 and that 91% of the rural households had soil erosion problems. This is one of the main reasons why crops yield only 20-30% of their full potential.

The reason why this problem still exists is because the technologies to spread manure are too expensive for the smallholder farmers. The tractors, that could do this job much easier, are unaffordable for the small scale farmers. As there are no other technologies available in the market, the smallholder farmers are forced to choose between spreading manure using the inefficient traditional hand methods or just burn the manure.

The Manure Spreader (MS) is an intermediate technology created to increase soil fertility and crop productivity by evenly spreading manure in the fields. As this is the only technology of its kind, this innovation redefines the manure spreading process, to simply towing a cart in the field. It reduces labor intensity, saves time, and maximizes the use of manure resources.

In this context it is obvious the urgency to provide the small holder farmers with an affordable technology that help them to spread the manure in their fields. Compost made with manure has the ability to return the nitrogen and minerals needed by the soil, allowing the crops during the rainy season to get all the minerals they need, resulting in healthier and bigger crops.

The Manure Spreader is an intermediate and scalable technology made to increase soil fertility and crop productivity by evenly spreading manure in the fields. As this is the only technology of its kind, this innovation redefines the manure spreading process, to simply towing a cart in the field. It reduces labor intensity, minimizing accidents and diseases; gives extra time for other economic or studying activities; improves productivity and incomes; reduces the work of women in this labor and maximizes the use of manure resources

The product is a cart that can traverse the field, gradually dispensing its load of manure as it travels. It can be pulled by a donkey, oxen or even a motorbike and the dispensing rotor is driven from the land wheel of the cart. We offer a complete machine or a kit to convert an existing cart into a manure spreader, made both with locally-available raw materials, making easy for the buyer to fix in case of breakdown.